CatH Post 40
In CatH Post 40, Clear is being dragged through the streets of Mirare Station by her kidnappers, who took her in CatH Post 38. Aellisin Koure shows up, however, and saves her. She begins to recover from the Paralysis Flower used on her by Lucee Sk'dor and is able to hobble after Koure, who is trying to escape without killing anyone - as per his orders from The Empire. When they reach the docking zone they near a shop and Clear's PIP alerts her to a shop that Lumo had wanted her to get something from to protect her from Koure. She is about to ignore it and leave but Sk'dor appears at the door and pushes a pouch into her hands for her to take. Aboard The Hopeful Alexis Thrain has been healing Clear and explains that the substances used on Clear are normally used by quacks and not real doctors. Post A Forged Escape Clear is dragged through passages of Mirare Station. She feels some sensation begin to tingle back into her fingers but she's still otherwise unable to move and unable to see properly. The green hulk carrying her on his shoulder seems pretty unsympathetic to her plight. She sees other blurs walking just below her, some her own height, others smaller. At least two of them are greys, she can tell by the colour of their overly large heads. And then, suddenly, they're in one of the wide open streets. The colours and shapes are blinding and the sudden sounds and scents are confusing. Then there's a loud commotion. She manages to crane her neck round to see in the direction of the shouts and fighting. A dark figure comes at her, quickly. She wriggles in sudden panic and then she is flying through the air. She cries out and, for the first time in what seems like hours, she hears herself yell. She lands in a pair of solid arms and, so close to him, she can see the face of Aellisin Koure. He isn't looking at her though, he's occupied with those around him. He doesn't use his ruhand, instead he's tossing people around in the air as though he's discarding unwanted junk. She isn't even sure he's throwing aggressors, just whoever happens to be standing in his path. Clear: '"Goo... captch..." ''She works her lips. The numbness isn't completely gone yet. '''Koure: "I'm sure your paralysis will wear off soon." Clear: "It ish..." The streets ahead seem clearer, word of Aellisin's rampage reaching more and more ears. As they near the gate to the docks Clear asks to be put down. He lets her down gently and she takes her first step. Her legs feel stiff and sore but they work. She grins and is happy to be able to do so. Gunfire hits the ground near them and the Æon Knight uses his power to bring down an entire establishment's front to stand between them and their attackers. Koure: '"It would be easier if I could just kill the fools. But orders are orders..." ''Clear doesn't remind him that he once proclaimed the Empire served him, not he served it. She fears if she riles him he will begin killing people. She's not entirely sure they don't deserve it, but so far they've avoided actually killing her so she doesn't want to have them killed in return. She hobbles ahead of Aellisin as he brings down yet another establishment. Even if people aren't dead there's going to be a lot of wounded left behind and a lot of anger. She skids to a stop as her PIP shrieks at her. She lifts her arm, which seems like a great effort, and there she sees a marker pointing out a local shop. The establishment stands unassuming and quiet but she recognises it as the place Lumo advised she visit before she leaves the station. She glances back at Aellisin. He had just saved her... and yet she has always felt that there's something strange about him. He always seemed fine when she was with him but when he was absent she couldn't help but doubt his intentions. She starts towards the shop but before she reaches the doors he comes up behind her. '''Koure: "Almost there. Let's go." Clear: "I just need... to get shomething..." Koure: "The time for shopping is over! Now!" She sees his logic instantly and turns to meekly follow him past the shop. As she goes she sees someone appear at the shop door. She's a blue-skinned woman with bright yellow eyes. She's humanoid, much like Clear, but her hair appears unusual. Somehow it's solid, like bark, but also blue like her skin. She wears a loose white one-piece with a loose green sash at the waist and she recognises that as the fashion she had once coveted on Dacato - the race of people with similar fashion sense to her own people. She also knows that this woman must be the one that sprayed her in the face. A part of her wants to talk to the woman but the overriding need to follow Aellisin quickly blanks the Hian woman from mind. Only when she glances down at her hand does she realise she has been given something as she passed - a pouch. It's strange she doesn't remember how she got that pouch but there it is. She quickly stashes it away and turns to Koure's ship. ------------- Clear opens her eyes. She instantly recognises the tiled ceiling of the medbay. She feels like she's just risen from the dead and yet none of her limbs feel rigid. She presses a button on the side of the bed and it rises her into a seated position. ''''Clear: "Alexis. I hope you didn't take advantage and go probing me." Alexis Thrain looks up from her console screen. Thrain: "Of course not! No more than was necessary anyway..." Clear: '"What ''you ''consider necessary isn't strictly what ''others ''see as necessary..." ''The doctor approaches Clear and starts running a battery of routine tests. She shines a light in the salmitton's eyes. 'Thrain: '"It was necessary. You'd suffered from hoo-doo herbal drugs that paralysed your muscles. You're lucky. It could have been worse really. These hoo-doo people are usually self-taught so they often mess it up and kill people." 'Clear: '"Hoo-doo?" '''Thrain: "You know? Herbal medicine, pseudo medicine, quack doctors. Most of them don't know the first thing about science or biology, yet they'll claim to be able to cure you of everything ''imaginable. They'll cure you of imaginary ailments too. Need your aura fixing? How about your jumkas? Your astro-spheres? Your leetness? Pretty sure those e's are replaced with threes when they write it out..." ''Clear swings her legs over the edge of the bed and Thrain knocks her knees with a hammer. Clear: '"Okay, I get it. They're scam artists. Yet their stuff seems to have worked on me!" '''Thrain: '"I never said it didn't work - it ''always ''works. But when they do use something that really does do something, it can be dangerous. Lucky your not dead. Fit as a... what is that Earth instrument? A trombone?" '''Clear: "Fiddle. The humans say 'fit as a fiddle'..." Thrain: "Not all ''humans." ''Clear doesn't look up at her. She can't look up at her. Clear: "Yeah... not ''all ''humans..."